Faults:

So far the only problem I have encountered is a blown dashboard bulb. As the dials are lit up as soon as the ignition is turned on they can blow prematurely. It isn't the easiest of jobs to do (most of the lower dashboard has to be removed to access and detach the speedo cable) but is hardly a major problem.

General Comments:

Very good car to drive, has some body roll, but the ride is very smooth and you know what the front wheels are doing through the well weighted steering.

The inside is excellent, very comfortable seats and driving position, although the pedals are spaced quite closely together.

Parking isn't too bad, but the mirrors are quite small and are angled upwards and the boot is quite high, so it can be difficult to judge how close the car behind you really is.

The headlights are very good, be warned when getting replacement bulbs. If your car has dual head lamps fitted they are the same bulbs as the driving lamps and not the usual dual filament bulbs.

Faults:

Rear brakes rubbing (two attempts by main agent to fix) and front washer problem (would start squirting water at windscreen, then at tailgate, fixed by new pump).

All the above fixed under warranty by the dealer.

General Comments:

I bought this car with one primary goal in mind, better fuel economy than my previous petrol Sierra. In this respect it has exceeded my expectations by never returning less than 50MPG (11 Mi/L) irrespective of how it is driven. This equates to some £50+ in my pocket each month.

It has the best ride quality of any car I've driven in it's class, is superbly comfortable and not tiring to drive.

Despite a soft suspension, handling is excellent, meaning that one can conserve momentum on cross-country roads/roundabouts, which is important as the normally aspirated diesel engine is not exactly quick.

It has some good design features, the sliding rear seat being one of the most unusual - the seat can slide forward to allow children to still be seated in the rear, whilst increasing luggage space hugely.

Main agent labour and parts prices are wallet-crippling - find a good independent specialist that buys parts from a good french parts specialist (Comark in the UK). You will get the same parts the main agent uses, with the same (or sometimes better) warranty at a fraction of the price:- e.g. Main agent headlamp price £110, same part from an independant specialist half that price.

Faults:

Alternator, headlamp, front brake pads and lots of interior illumination bulbs blowing. No sooner do I put them in than they blow. It doesn't help that the interior illumination is on with the ignition on.

General Comments:

Overall I am very satisfied with the car, its standard of comfort is very high, although the performance is a little on the slow side.

Faults:

Nothing serious - seems to go through a lot of headlight bulbs.

General Comments:

Very reliable, good performance (for a diesel), very economical. An excellent work horse. Mine has done 123k miles and is still running like new.

Faults:

Battery was ko a bit soon at 45,000 miles.

General Comments:

Very good performance and driving.

Faults:

Front Discs replaced after 1 week - out of true.

Electric sunroof had to be re-tracked.

New steering wheel (airbag) replaced as result of general recall.

All above done under warranty.

General Comments:

Single wiper not very efficient in drizzle or heavy rain.

Comfortable and sporty car (for a diesel).

No engine noise intrusion other than at tick-over.

Average m.p.g. mostly urban driving 39.